There
are many different methods that are used today in youth
ministry. It is important that any ministry has Scripture
as its Basis. What follow is just that. This is
not
a doctrinal statement. The youth ministry of Victory
Baptist Church has the same doctrinal statement as that the
church as a whole. Our doctrine, though, determines the way
that we run our ministry. What follows is our philosophy of
youth ministry. This serves as a guide to what we do and
how we do it.
1. A Philosophy of
Emphasis—the Bible
A. Authority
The Bible is the sole Authority of faith and practice for
the youth program. God has given the Bible so that we can
know Him, worship Him, and live for Him. This decides how
the youth program is to be operated. Anything that the
Bible says should be done will be done, and anything that
the Bible says should not be done will not be done. (2 Tim.
3:16-17, Matt. 4:4, Ps. 119:105)
B. Preaching
The focus of all youth meetings is to be the preaching of
God’s Word. God has chosen preaching and by it young people
are saved and taught to live a life that glorifies God. (1
Cor. 1:21, Rom. 10:17)
C. Training
The goal of having a Bible emphasis is so that the young
person can be able to determine God’s will in every matter
by being able to study and correctly understand God’s Word.
(Eph. 5:17, 1 Tim. 4:17)
2. A Philosophy of
Exaltation—Jesus Christ
A. Salvation
Every young person needs to be saved and this only comes
from saving faith in the substitutionary atonement of Jesus
Christ. (Rom. 10:13, Acts 16:31, John 14:6)
B. Surrender
Every young person, after being saved, needs to acknowledge
Jesus Christ as the Lord of their life and be fully
surrendered to Him and His will in every area of life. (Rom.
12:1-2)
C. Growth
After getting saved, every young person needs to constantly
and consistently grow into the image of Jesus Christ,
modeling their life after His life. (Rom. 8:28-29, Eph.
2:10)
3. A Philosophy of
Direction—the Local Church
A. Purpose
The purpose of the youth program is the same as the purpose
of the local church—the Great Commission. Young people are
to witness, get converts baptized, and to teach other
converts both in their local community and throughout the
world. (Matt. 28:18-20, Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8)
B. Membership
Since the youth
program is made of young church members, the youth make up
part of the body of the local church. Because of this, they
are not independent of, but rather, are a necessary part of
the local church. (1 Cor. 12:12-27)
4. A Philosophy of
Extension—the Home
A. Substitution
The youth group is not a substitution for the family, but
rather is to be a “bridge” from the young person to God and
his or her family. Parents are to be respected and honored.
(1 Kings 17:17-24)
B. Counsel
The youth pastor, out of respect to the parents of the
youth, ought to get counsel from and maintain open
communication with the parents concerning their children.
This also will aid his ministry among the church’s youth.
(Pr. 11:14, 15:22; Eph. 6:2; Ex. 20:12)
C. Example
The youth pastor should be a married man with a family that
is an example to the youth group. He ought to love and lead
his wife, she ought to love and obey him, they together
ought to love their children and train them according to
God’s Word, and their children ought to be obedient to their
parents. (1 Tim. 4:12, Eph. 5:21-6:4, Deut. 6:4-9)
5. A Philosophy of
Authority
A. Ordained by God
The young person needs to be taught that all authority is
ordained by God, no matter the authority’s relationship to
God. (Rom. 13:1-7, 1 Sam. 15:23)
B. Protection
Young people need to be taught that God gives them their
authorities to act as protection for them and give guidance
to them. (Heb. 13:17)
6. A Philosophy of
Identity
A. As a Creation of God
Young people need to know that they are a unique creation of
God, created in His image, and they need to be themselves,
not someone else. (Ps. 139:13-16)
B. As a Christian
For young people to live fruitful Christian lives, they need
to realize their identity in Christ. (Eph. 1:3-23)
C. As a Male or Female
Young people need to know who they are as a male or female
and what the Bible says about masculinity and femininity.
(Gen. 1:27)
7. A Philosophy of
Relationships
A. Friends
The youth program ought to encourage its young people to
have Christian friends that love the Lord, especially
friends within the same youth program. These friends should
help, rather than hinder, each other’s spiritual walks.
Cliques and rigid exclusion of others should be avoided. (2
Cor. 6:14-18; Pr. 13:20, 27:17)
B. Dating
The youth program
should not be viewed as a “dating pool”. This will help
maximize the effectiveness of the youth program’s ministry
to the young person and help minimize any hurt feelings or
risks to the young person, whether the risks be spiritual,
emotional, mental, or physical. Young people will be
encourage to seek the direction of God and their parents
with their relationships with the opposite sex. (2 Tim.
2:22, Eph. 6:2)
8. A Philosophy of
Separation
A. Positive Separation
Members of the youth program should be constantly set apart
by God, or sanctified so that they can be effectively used
by God for His glory and service. (2 Tim. 2:20-21)
B. Negative Separation
Members of the
youth program should constantly separate from worldly
practices in areas such as music, dress, and activities.
The youth program as a group should do so and it should be
ecclesiastically separated and have no fellowship with other
groups that do not hold to the same like faith and practice.
(2 Cor. 6:14-18)
9. A Philosophy of
Leadership
A. Of the Youth Program
The youth pastor
or youth director is the leader of the youth program and
needs to display the Scriptural qualifications of a pastor.
He is of course under the direct leadership and guidance of
the senior pastor. (1 Tim. 3:1-7)
B. In the Youth Program
Those in the youth
program are the young leaders of today and the elder leaders
of the future. They should be trained in the youth program
to be servant-leaders. (Matt. 20:27, John 13:2-17)
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